Health authorities across Asia are scrambling to contain a dangerous outbreak of the Nipah virus that has already forced thousands of people into quarantine and prompted a global alert from the World Health Organization.
The virus, which has a high fatality rate and the ability to spread from person to person, is being treated by governments as having clear "pandemic potential," even as the WHO urges countries to respond cautiously and avoid panic.
Officials stress that current outbreaks remain geographically limited.
The latest flare-up is centered in South Asia, particularly India's Kerala state, where health officials confirmed human-to-human transmission following what authorities described as a Nipah virus death involving a teenage patient.
At least 60 others were reported infected or under investigation.
In response, officials launched aggressive contact tracing, placing family members, classmates, and hospital staff into home isolation or supervised quarantine.
Entire apartment buildings and school groups in affected areas have been ordered to remain indoors while health workers conduct door-to-door symptom checks.
Other countries across Asia, including Pakistan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, have activated contingency plans developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Measures include isolation wards for suspected cases, mass testing in targeted areas, and renewed airport screening for travelers arriving from affected regions.
Nipah, a bat-borne virus, has long concerned scientists, but its profile has risen sharply in recent years because of its deadly nature and limited treatment options.
The WHO has formally designated Nipah as a "priority pathogen," a label reserved for viruses that could trigger a global outbreak and require accelerated research and vaccine development.
Clinically, the current cases are marked by severe brain inflammation.
Patients can deteriorate rapidly from flulike symptoms to encephalitis and coma.
Several countries outside the region have reintroduced health declaration forms, temperature checks, and secondary screening at airports.
The U.K. has stepped up monitoring of travelers arriving from India while maintaining that no domestic cases have been detected.
Despite the heightened alert, WHO has emphasized that there is no evidence of sustained global spread.
Officials say the coming weeks will determine whether Nipah can be contained — or becomes the next major test of global pandemic preparedness.
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